In ancient China, it was said that every 12 months, a man-eating beast would descend from the mountains to prey on any humans that crossed its path. Nián, as the mythological lion-esque creature was known, was believed to be startled by loud noises and the color red, so people scared it off with fireworks and scarlet lanterns decorating their homes.
Centuries later, people no longer fear being devoured by a carnivorous mountain beast, but Gunián, which literally means “passover of the nián,” has evolved into modern-day Chinese New Year, a 15-day celebration characterized by fireworks, feasts and traditions.
For University freshman Fan Jiang, celebrating Chinese New Year is not the same in the United States, on the opposite side of the world from her family and friends in China’s Guangdong Province. But Jiang, a member of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, got into the spirit while at CSSA’s Chinese New Year event in the EMU Ballroom Wednesday night.
“When we say Happy New Year to Chinese people or even American people and they will say Happy New Year to us, we feel happy,” said Jiang, who greeted attendees at the door with two of her fellow group members.
The food – which included chow mein, spring rolls, curried beef and fish stir-fry – was a staple of CSSA’s Chinese New Year celebration, in addition to traditional dances and children’s’ songs from students at the Eugene Chinese School.
Unlike the arithmetical Gregorian calendar, the Chinese calendar is based on lunar and solar movements. Rather than occurring every Jan. 1, Chinese New Year falls on different days every year. Today is the celebration’s first day of 2008.
Chinese astrology has 12 year-long signs, instead of 12 month-long signs throughout the year, each of which is represented by a different animal and based on the position of Jupiter. 2008 is the year of the rat.
Chinese New Year is filled with traditions, though they vary depending on people and regions.
“All of us eat together, that’s the only thing I do,” said Jun Yin, a third-year graduate student studying physics. Yin – who is from Shanghai, the largest city in China with more than 9 million – said many of the superstitious rituals are more common in less populated areas.
Customs include cleaning the entire house the day before the celebration starts; wearing red, a bright color that is seen as an indication of a bright future; and adults giving children red envelopes with “lucky money” inside, which is University freshman Carol Liao’s favorite ritual.
“If the lucky money is for students, they’ll wish the students will get good marks, good grades and stuff like that,” Liao explained.
“People still clean their house,” she added, of Guilin, her hometown in southern China. “It’s the new year, so they want to have all new things.”
A clean house symbolizes a fresh start, and garbage, representing any bad luck that may have accumulated over the previous year, is taken out the back door.
Chinese New Year culminates with the Lantern Festival when children carry bright, elaborate lanterns, which represent the full moon. According to Chinese legend, lanterns showed appreciation for the higher powers by giving some light back. A popular symbol of the celebration, lanterns decorate homes during Chinese New Year.
“In China, they’re much bigger,” Gao said. “We put the light inside so at night, it’s very beautiful.”
Sunday night, the Chinese Student Association will host a similar China Night in the EMU Ballroom with food, musical performances and a demonstration of wushu, a form of martial arts.
“In China, people get together with their family and a lot of people,” said University freshman Shawn Xiao. “But here we don’t have any family members, so the students gather together.”
Jiang added, “We’re all family, it feels like.”
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